Jaguar XK-E

On the fateful day that the Jaguar E-type, a.k.a. Jaguar XK-E was revealed, grandmaster of sport and super cars of that time, Enzo Ferrari, called it “The most beautiful car ever made." And he was absolutely right with his statement. When the E-type was presented in 1961 it became an instant sensation. Now, 52 years later, it is still one of the most gorgeous looking cars ever produced.

Designed by the late Malcolm Sayer (who was also responsible for the predecessing C & D types along with the beautiful XJ13 and XJS) the Jaguar E-type looks so stunning that it even has a permanent exhibit in New York. New York’s Museum of Modern Art to be precise, confirming that a car can, indeed, be an absolutely beautiful piece of art. How special is this you might rightfully wonder. Well, in the roughly 140 years that production cars have existed, it is only 1 out of 6 cars every to be recognized as art. So there’s that.

By simply looking at the pure flow of its lines and the beautifully proportioned curves you immediately know why this car has so much appreciation worldwide. Not only did Jaguar design it elegant but glamorous as well. It definitely is no wonder that George Best, Princess Grace, Steve McQueen and Frank Sinatra where as only a small fraction of the vast number of celebrities that had Jaguar E-types.

The most compelling fact about the Jaguar e-type was its top speed of 240 km/h (150 mph). This was achieved by its triple SU carburetted 3.8-litre six-cylinder Jaguar XK6 engine, which was tuned up to a 4.2-litre in October of 1964. This high speed was only in the realm of race cars and sports cars far more expensive than the E-type. An equivalent Ferrari or Maserati would cost you £6000 or more than the Jaguar E-type, which had ⅓ the price, pricing at £2200 (in today’s money that would roughly make about £38.000). Between 1961 and 1974 70.000 units found their rightful owner. The Jaguar E-Type had 3 series and 2 limited editions.

The Jaguar E-type definitely was very special. Malcom Sayer,the designer, was one of the first to apply the principles of aerodynamics from scientific calculations to his car designs. Because of its aerodynamics the E-type has a flowing body, its simple lines giving it the unique purity which makes the Jaguar E-type, in our most humble opinion, one of the most beautiful cars ever made!